According to Latino Review, Marvel wants Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook, Limitless) to voice Rocket Raccoon in James Gunn’s Guardian’s of the Galaxy. The studio has reportedly extended an offer to Cooper, but there’s no word on whether he’s accepted the part or not. Rocket Raccoon and Groot were the last of the Guardians roles yet to be officially confirmed, however Vin Diesel hasn’t exactly been subtle about signing on to voice the extraterrestrial plant monster. The film is part of Marvel’s phase two slate and focuses on a team of superhumans and extraterrestrials dedicated to the safeguarding of the Milky Way Galaxy.
Gunn previously talked about the role, and how Rocket Racoon is the “heart” of the film:
“It’s not about creating Bugs Bunny in the middle of The Avengers. It’s about creating a character that’s a little animal that’s taken and experimented on, pulled apart and put back together again and implanted with cybernetics. He’s half machine and half raccoon and he’s a little gnarled, miserable pretty angry creature because there’s nothing else like him and that’s not easy to be.”
Cooper can next be seen in Susanne Bier’s Serena, David O. Russell’s American Hustle, an untitled Cameron Crowe project, and American Sniper.
Chris Pratt (Peter Quill/Star-Lord), Lee Pace (Basil Sandhurst a.k.a. “The Controller”), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), David Bautista (Drax the Destroyer), Michael Rooker (Yondu), John C. Reilly, Ophelia Lovibond, Karen Gillan, John C. Reilly, Benicio Del Toro, and Glenn Close star. Guardians of the Galaxy is expected to hit theaters August 1, 2014.